h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

A couple of colleagues are having a free and frank exchange of opinions just behind me.

Mornin All

Ocercast but still dry, just.

Backlog decimated. What a disgusting display of football that final was, I've seen less violent Rugby League matches.

Busy weekend clearing up the patio and fitting posh canopy over kitchen doors ready for Mrs WA's retiremnt do next Sunday, an afternoon tea dancey thing.

It actually chucked it down with rain this morning, first proper rain we have had for well over a month. Just off to the 'Dungeons of Despair ' for a few days of 'day work' instead of nights, then off to Wales on Thursday for beer/burnt meat/kayak fishing long weekend .

for your niece and nephew, lml.

Hope t5he will be fine again, soon Sol.

Stopped watching the match last night as it was so terrible.
Well, that's the WC over.

It is my parent's ruby anniversary next year and they were all excited about the cruise through the Panama canal they had just booked, but they've had to cancel it because dad has been told his kidneys will have finally failed by then and he will be on permanent dialysis for the rest of his life - no possibility of a transplant as his total lack of an immune system means they won't do such major surgery on him.

Am so sad for them that this long-dreamed of cruise won't happen - they have been talking about it for years. And worried for dad - if he can't do the home dialysis thing they talked about he will have to go into the hospital every day and I reckon that will finish him off.

Sitting at my desk not knowing what to do with this news. Think I'll go for a walk.

kelli - I do know a bit about kidneys - I was working in dialysis ward this time last year.

Dialysis would actually be 3 x a week rather than every day. Do give me a call if I can help - do you still have my number? I've managed to delete yours. If not I'll e mail you with it.

Kelli,

My step mum has been home dialysizing, if that's the correct term, for years. She does have the support of an excellent renal unit at her local hospital. She just gets on with it and life in general. I thought the kit was reasonably portable with a bit of forward planning but I suppose the cruise lne/insurers might take a stern view.

Sorry but I've done the Panama many times. Cold comfort if it's been a dream but I can't recall anything particularly spectacular except the locks, and they're only like big canal locks.

Morning all.

kelli - and

kelli and lml -

HN, I'd love the contact information for the bat boxes. I found one at the local farm supply store that was really shoddy, so I didn't buy it. sofo72 at aol dot com

Oh, Kelli. Is there any way for them to do the cruise sooner, before the dialysis has to start? What a shame.

There's two options for dialysis, both of which you can do at home. There's haemodialysis(HD) where you're attached to a machine for 3 hours 3 x a week. Then there's periotioneal dialysis(PD) which involves putting fluid into your abdomen through a special catheter 4 x a day. This is fairly portable, but you are at risk of getting complications so if you were to travel you would need to be fully insured. I don't think a cruise ship would be able to cope with the complications of PD.

The pre-dialsysis nurses I've known do an excellent job of explaining all the options, and the advantages and disadvantages of each one.

You can have a haemodialysis machine at home, (the NHS will pay for all the equipment) but you need to have a spare room to put it in, and a sensible person who will sit with you every single time you dialyse for the whole time.

HD will often be at a dialysis unit rather than a hospital and some people don't find it as bad as they imagine. It can be almost friendly, with the same people coming for dialysis and the same nurses each shift. Some of them have a really nice family atmosphere.

Thanks guys. Let this be a lesson, make that hay while the sun is shining people.

I asked that Hyp, but basically mum said that the side effect of his kidney function dropping is that he just wants to sleep all the time - he wouldn't have the energy for it.

Thanks Z, good to know mum was exaggerating a bit. I'm still digesting the information (which I have got third hand (consultant, to dad, to mum, to me) so I don't know how much is chinese whispers and how much dad doesn't want to tell mum. If I come up with some coherent questions I'll ask.

WA, the home dialysis thing *is* pretty portable - it was the 11 hour flight plus travel time either side that didn't give him enough of a window I think. I suggested they cruise over to America rather than fly which would add 8 days to the trip and mean changing boats a couple of times but I honestly don't think dad has the energy to contemplate doing that right now. He might feel differently once it has started but I think by then they will have booked something around the mediterranean - which just means they can't do it on their actual anniversary....so I will have to think up something special to do for them on the day.

Good also to hear someone has been doing this long term, mum was worried this was the start of a slide.

Z - mum seems to think you can do the PD one either 4 times a day or for 8 hours overnight every day. That seems preferable to him having to go into Oxford 3 times a week - it'd be a 6 hour day for him including the travelling although it is possible he could be in a hospital a bit closer to home for it. I seem to remember when this was talked about before it wasn't available in the closer hospitals.

Oh Kelli, what a lot to take on board for all of you.



B

Hugs for Kelli and Lostmonalisa - hope all the medical issues can get resolved.

I'm feeling sorry for myself cos I lost my iPhone while chasing Max in a field - but it's replaceable, I keep telling myself.

It would upset me if I did that, Beatrice.

Kelli,

Bit of comfort, I thought I'd better check up on my step mum, so phoned her to be told she was knackered as she was just in from doing the big shop at Tesco's, which means she is still driving, and has enough groceries in the house to last a month.She sounds chipper and when I asked how they were, "Oh you know allright, your Dad's making tea and he's getting absent minded, but apart from that we're fine"

Not bad for going on ninety, so don't get too worried.

Beatrice, can't you phone your iPhone to try and locate it?

Tried that already - in the long grass in a field it's just too large an area and too noisy.